Wheeling Gull Isle I am the owner of nowhere land, queen of a castle that’s made of sand.

bees droned in the flower patch outside. ava had been stirred awake by their noise and watched mesmerized.

a spear of black shadow crossed the den. ava's gaze climbed upward until it met her grandma's -- then her expression broke from studious intent to delight.

HEE!! she roared to life, bounding after dinah. she only narrowly missed crashing into the bumper-car pileup herself, swerving last minute into a bed of queen anne's lace.

she slumped, too lazy to get up -- but dinah's voice urged her to look back at towhee in interest. what was all that about, anyway?